Shaab Malahi

Also known as: Malahi · Malahy · Malahi Reef · Sha'ab Malahi

Malahi is made of a main reef in the north and a field of large coral towers in the south that stand so close together that they form a labyrinth of corridors, overhangs and niches. Local guides describe the best plan as getting lost on purpose, moving from one channel to the next and surfacing wherever the dive ends, where the boat picks divers up. Inside the maze the depth stays between about 5 and 13 m, while the outside of the reef reaches 22 m. Light falls into the passages from above, and the corridors are mostly lined with hard coral. Blue-spotted stingrays, moray eels, lionfish, turtles and schools of goatfish are among the regular sightings, and navigation is the main challenge because many corridors look alike.